Daytrippers do their bit

A travel agency has left charity bosses in the Hartlepool area flying high after giving them a cash boost.

Staff and customers of Co-operative Travel raised £550 for the Jo and Mya Memorial Fund – run by Ian Richardson – from a charity trip to York.

The Co-operative Travel branch in James Cook Square, in Middlesbrough, organised the trip. Branch manager Louise Dixon said: “A colleague, Claire Barnard, told of us Ian’s story and the charity, and it touched us all. We knew we wanted to help.

“Customers donated books and raffle prizes, which we used to raise the money on the trip. It was a great day out, which meant our customers not only got to enjoy themselves but also got to help others.”

Ian lost his wife Joanne, 40, and eldest daughter Mya, aged six, in 2010, when they died in a road accident. He and his youngest daughter Ava, now aged two, survived.

Ian has since formed the Jo and Mya Memorial Fund to support children who have lost loved ones.